Article display and dispensing device



Sept. 27, 1960 M. A. GORDON ARTICLE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1959 INVENTOR flit/PRAY 14. 601990.

ATTORNEY p '1960 M. A. GORDON 2,954,128

ARTICLE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 20, 1959 2 Shee'Es-Shaet2 INVENTOR Mummy A. Gonna/v- ATTORNEY nited States atent fiice 2,954,128Patented Sept. 27, 1%60 ARTICLE DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE Murray A.Gordon, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor, by niesne assignments, to EkcoProducts Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 20,1959, Ser. No. 814,469

9 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) The present invention relates generally to animproved article dispensing device, and in particular it relates to animproved dispensing tray or rack which may be readily separably mountedon a shelf or the like.

The general method for displaying and dispensing merchandise in stores,particularly of the self-service type such as grocerystores andsupermarkets, general stores, and the like, is to support and exhibitthe merchandise on shelves usually arranged in regularly spaced islandsand along the walls of the store. These shelves are fixed in positionand are provided with price tagcarrying mouldings along their outeredge. While the aforesaid arrangement is usually quite adequate, itofiers little versatility and flexibility. Often, by reason of the sizeand configuration of the dispensed merchandise,

the shelves can be only partially filled, leading to inefficiency inspace utilization and in convenience of access. There are many otherdisadvantages and drawbacks accompanying the aforesaid display anddispensing arrangement.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providean improved dispensing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved devicefor the display and dispensing of packaged articles.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarticle display and dispensing device which may be easily and readilyseparably mounted on a shelf without interfering substantially with thenormal use of the shelf.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedarticle display and dispensing device which may be readily separablymounted on a shelf whether in a loaded or unloaded condition.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an articledisplay and dispensing device of the above character which is of simple,rugged and inexpensive construction and is highly versatile, flexibleand easy to use.

The above and other objects of the present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a frontperspective view of an improved display and dispensing device embodyingthe present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof mounted on and dependingfrom a support shelf, the articles which are contained therein and to bedispensed therefrom being illustrated in broken lines;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Figure 2; ..FigureS'is a transverse fragmentary sectional view of the dispensing deviceclamping bracket applied to a bracket rods.

supporting shelf provided with a tag retaining moulding projecting belowthe level of the support shelf; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, the tag moulding, however,projecting above the level of the support shelf.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of animproved display and dispensing device of the character described,comprising a clamp bracket including confronting upper and lower armsjoined by a knee portion along their leading edges and being resilientlyurged toward each other, said clamp bracket being adapted to embrace ashelf between said arms, and a longitudinally extending tray disposedbelow and secured to said bracket.

According to a preferred form of the present invention, the clampbracket includes an upper arm-defining plate having an upwardly andforwardly inclined front leg portion terminating in a depending wall. Apair of rods, defining the bottom bracket arm, extend rearwardly fromthe lower edge of the front wall and are joined by a cross' arm at theirtrailing end. The tray is formed of wire rods and includes a baseconsisting of longitudinally extending laterally spaced rods terminatingin upright legs joined to the rear cross piece of the The tray sides aredefined by a pair of laterally spaced rods joined at their rears by across rod secured to the base rod uprights and terminating at theirfront by depending legs joined by a cross rod joined to the leading endsof the base rods. A rectangular wire frame depends from the forwardsection of the bracket to about the mid-point of the tray base andincludes an upper cross arm to which is pivoted a forwardly and upwardlyprojecting latch member spring urged to its upper position.

Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred form ofdevice constructed according to and embodying the present invention,reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved display anddispensing device which comprises a shelf engaging clamp bracket 11 anda longitudinally extending trough shaped wire tray 12 disposed belowbracket 11. Bracket 11 includes an upper, rearwardly directed clampplate 13 of rectangular configuration having a forwardly and upwardlyinclined leading section 14 terminating in a depending vertical kneedefining front wall 16. The lower clamp arm of bracket 11 is defined bya pair of parallel, laterally spaced, longitudinally extending wire rods17 terminating at their front ends in upright legs 18 which are securedto the rear face of knee defining front wall 16, as by welding or thelike. The trailing ends of the rods 17 are connected by a transversecross-rod 19 preferably formed integral therewith. It should be notedthat the trailing portions of the clamp plate 13 and clamp rods 17 areresiliently urged toward each other by reason of the flexibility of thematerial forming them, and that they normally converge rearwardly.

Tray member 12 is fabricated of wire rods and includes a base formed ofa pair of outer laterally spaced longitudinally extending parallel rods20 and an intermediate longitudinally extending rod 21 located betweenrods 20. Rods 20 and 21 are substantially horizontally disposed andterminate at their trailing ends in upright legs 22, the upper ends ofwhich are secured as by weld ing to cross-rod 19 of bracket arms 17, 17.The front sections 23 of base rods 20 and 21 are upwardly and forwardlyinclined.

The sides of tray 12 are defined by a pair of longitudinally extending,laterally spaced parallel side rods 24 located above and laterallyoutside base rods 20, and are joined at their trailing ends by anintegrally formed cross-rod 26 which is weld secured across to the baseupright legs 22. Depending from the leading ends of side rods 24 arevertical depending legs 27, the lower ends of which are joined by anintegrally formed cross rod 28 which is weld fastened to the underfacesof the forward ends of the rods 20 and 21. A wire abutment member 29 ofinverted U-shaped configuration projects above cross rod 28 and islocated between the ends thereof. The vertical arms 30 of abutmentmember 29 terminate at the bottom in rearwardly, downwardly directedlegs 32 weld secured to the underfaceof cross rod 28. A soft helicalcompression spring 50 is located in the tray 12 and registers withintermediate rod 21 of base 12, the trailing end of the spring abuttinguprights 22 and cross rod 26. In its normal expanded form, the

spring 50 extends for substantially the full length of the tray 12.

A wire frame of substantially rectangular configuration is provided,which frame includes an upper cross piece 34 extending transverselyacross and weld fastened to the underfaces of bracket rods 17 rearwardlyof the leading ends thereof. Depending from the ends of the cross piece34 and integrally formed therewith are a pair of parallel, rearwardlyand downwardly inclined arms 36 which terminate in inwardly directedlegs 37 which are weld fastened to the underfaces of corresponding base.rods 20 approximately intermediate the ends thereof.

A latching member 38 is provided, which includes a pair of parallellaterally spaced arms 39 terminating at their lower ends in loop or eyeportions 40 which rotatably register with cross piece 34 adjacent to theinner faces of bracket rods 17. A cross rod 41 extends between and isweld fastened to the latch arms 39 below the free ends thereof. Latcharms 39 are normally forwardly, upwardly directed and resiliently urgedto an uppermost position wherein the free ends abut the underface of theclamp plate13 by a helical tension spring 42. One end of tension spring42 engages cross rod 41 and the other end thereof engages the forwardlydisposed base of a U-shaped depression 43 formed in a cross piece 44extending between and weld fastened to the underfaces of bracket rods 17posterior to cross-piece 34. Latch member 38 is swingable against thepull of the spring 42 to a lowermost position substantially at the levelof bracket rods 17, in which position the leading ends of the latchingarms are spaced a distance of at least 5 from the upright legs 18 andpreferably less than so as to rest on cross bar 18 suitably secured tothe underside of rods 17 rearward of legs 18, cross bar 18* functioningto prevent latch arms 39 from swinging below the level of rods 17 (seeFigure 2).

In applying the improved dispensing and display device to a shelf 46,clamp plate 13 is sprung upwardly and the bracket 11 slid transverselyover the leading edge of a shelf 46, bracket arms 17 underlying shelf 46and bracket plate 13 overlying shelf 46. Bracket plate 13 is thenreleased and bracket 11 and tray 12 are pushed to their rearmostposition along the shelf 46 until the rear faces of upright legs 18 abutthe tag carrying moulding 47 carried along the forward edge of the shelf46. As the device is pushed rearwardly along the shelf 46, the latchingmember is urged relatively forwardly and downwardly and freely slidesalong the shelf underface. However, when the device 10 reaches itsinnermost mounted position, the latching arms 39 releasably lock it inthis position by reason of the freeends of the arms 39 effecting a biteinto the shelf underface, which engagement is tightened upon the forwardmovement of dispensing device 10.

When the dispensing device 10 is in its mounted position, as aforesaid,plate 13 lies substantially flatly alongthe top face of the shelf 46,thus not interfering with the use or loading of the shelf. Moreover,where the tag carrying moulding 47 extends above the level of the shelf46, as seen in Figure 6 of the drawings, it registers with thedownwardly directed recess separating bracket plate 13 from front wall16. On the other hand, when the moulding 47 projects below the shelf 46,there is sufficient clearance to permit the free rearward passage of thebracket rods 17, as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. In removingthe dispensing device 10 from the shelf 46, the latching member ismanually disengaged from its bite into the underface of shelf 46 andthen swung downwardly to its lowermost position against the tension ofthe spring 43, whereupon the device 10 may be slid forwardly out ofengagement with shelf 46.

The tray 12 is loaded by inserting successive articles 49 into the frontof the tray behind the abutment 29 and pushed rearwardly to compress thespring 33. Sufficient articles 49 are inserted to completely load tray12 and fully compress spring 33. As an article as 49 is removed from thefron t'of tray 12, the trailing stack of articles 49 is pushed forwardby the normal expansion of spring 33 until the next leading article 49abuts member 29 and is ready for removal.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations,omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spiritthereof.

I claim:

1. An improved display and dispensing device of the character described,comprising a clamp bracket including confronting upper and lower armsjoined by a knee portion along their leading edges and being resilientlyurged toward each other, said clamp bracket being adapted to embrace ashelf between said arms, a latching arm pivotally mounted on said lowerbracket arm posterior to the leading edge thereof and having a forwardlydirected free end swingable toward and away from said bracket upper arm,spring means urging said latching arm to its upper position and alongitudinally extending tray disposed below and secured to saidbracket.

2. An improved display and dispensing device in accordance with claim 1,wherein the free end of said latching arm is spaced at least from theleading edge of said bracket arms. 4

3. An improved display and dispensing device comprising an upperrearwardly extending plate provided with a depending front wall, a pairof laterally spaced parallel first rods secured to and projectingrearwardly from the lower portion of said front wall, said plate andfirst rods being resiliently urged toward each other, a longitudinallyextending tray disposed below said first rods and secured thereto bysupport rods depending from said first rods, said tray including a basemember formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel,laterally spaced base rods, and longitudinally extending side rodslocated above said base rod.

4. An improved display and dispensing device in accordance with claim 3,wherein the leading ends of said base rods are upwardly and forwardlyinclined.

5. An improved display and dispensing device comprising an upperrearwardly extending plate provided with a depending front Wall, a pairof laterally spaced parallel first rods secured to and projectingrearwardly from the lower portion of said front wall, said plate andfirst rods being resiliently urged toward each other, a longitudinallyextending tray disposed below said first rods and including a basemember formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel,laterally spaced base rods having upstanding legs at their trailing endssecured to said first rods, and an upwardly directed abutment memberdisposed at the leading end of said base member.

6. An improved display and dispensing device in accordance with claim 5,wherein said tray member includes a pair of longitudinally extending,laterally spaced side rods disposed above said base rods, the trailingends of said side rods being joined by a cross rod secured tothe'upstanding legs of said base rods and the leading ends of said siderods being provided with depending legs terminating in a joining crossrod secured to the forward ends of said base rods.

7. An improved display and dispensing device in accordance with claim 5,including a longitudinally extending helical compression springregistering with one of said base rods.

8. An improved display and dispensing device in accordance with claim 5,including a wire rectangular frame member having a lower cross-pieceextending across said base rods intermediate the ends thereof and anupper cross-piece extending across said first rod adjacent the forwardends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS807,840 Martin Dec. 19, 1905 1,934,125 Hurt Nov. 7, 1933 2,129,122Follett Sept. 6, 1938 2,588,618 DiRenzo Mar. 11, 1952

